Covid-19 has stolen our ability to eavesdrop
Restaurants used to be a place where you could get a satisfying serving of gossip to go with your meal, Amy McCarthy laments for Eater. Some restaurant goers’ favorite hobby—eavesdropping—has taken a major hit since Covid-19 swept the globe, not only by temporarily shutting restaurants but by keeping us socially distanced and mask-muzzled. There’s something about the atmosphere of a restaurant that allows people to release their inhibitions, spilling details of unknown arrests, secret divorces, and affairs to the delight of anyone with a sticky beak and trained ear. When some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy eventually does return to restaurants, you can bet someone will be listening. —Safiya Charles
